Apparatus for generating illuminating-gas



A. A. BIRKHOLZ.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ILL UMINATING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-10, 1916. RENEWED AUG. 3,1920.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

A r L i mlimxm iww e figri. $5.

6 It a al? /9 Inventor:

ALBERT.AUG. B IRKHOLZ,, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND,

. LPPARAT'US FOR' GENERATING IIiLU'MINATIN'G-GAS.

Specification of Letters meat.

Application filed November 10, 1916, Serial No. 130,682.. Renewed August 3, 1920. Serial No. 401,080.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, ALBERT AUG. BIRK- HOLZ, a citizen of the SwissRepublic, residing at Zurich, Switzerland, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Apparatus for Generating Illuminating-Gas, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention consists of a furnace and process for heating the same for-the purpose of generating illuminating gas in vertical retorts or chambers for continuous working.

In the processes hitherto known for periodical or continuous working, the retorts were heated at the'broad side either from the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top.

Certain disadvantages accrue from both systems. With the first mentioned system the fuel coming from the measuring receptacle or bunker immediately into the retort, is at once exposed to the highest temperature, which softens the coal and converts the same into a homogeneous soft mass, which hinders, if it does not entirely prevent, the free escape of the gases developed in the other parts of the retorts. The coal thus converted into a soft homogeneous mass has the further disadvantage that it prevents the regular even fall of the fresh coal, thus endangering the continuous working altogether. In addition to these disadvantages the pipe connections with the retort are liable to get clogged up, which is liable to retard or prevent the proper feed of fuel to the retort and is certain to retard the free escape of the gases developed.

If the retorts are heated from the bottom to the top, there is the drawback that the highest temperature is at the lowest part of the retort, and that this temperature does not by any means decrease evenly and gradually upward, so that a properly regulated heating suitable for the fractionated distillation of the coal, under no circumstances takes place.

According to this invention the retorts are heated from the center or approximately from the center of the furnace, according to the condition necessary for the kind of fuel to be gasified.

Air and gas are combined in a separate mixing chamber and are ignited as they leave the burner nozzles in the furnace. The

combustion gases pass first directly over the broad sides of the upper parts of the retorts from the bottom to the top and-pass thence through a flue provided in the furnace wall to the lower retort chamber, through which they pass in a vertical or zig-zag course from top to bottom and are then taken off to the recuperator.

By this method of heating, in contradistmction to the above mentioned systems the hottest zoneis produced in the center of the furnace, which enables the distillation of the fuel to be conducted, so that a preliminary distillation takes place in the upper part of great intensity advancing or increasing downwardly, and after the hottest zone has been passed, a gradually decreasing afterdistillation takes place in the lower part of Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

the retort. This is of great importance with continuous working, in order to enable a fractionated distillation and to insure a regular fall of the fresh fuel feed to be distilled.

In the accompanying drawings a furnace is illustrated'in which the present process may be carried out.

Figure 1 shows a retort, one half in front elevation and one half in vertical section,

Fi 2 is a vertical section on the line A of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 1 1 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 a similar section on line 22 Fig. 5 a similar section on line 33 and Fig. 6 a similar section on line 44 of Fig. 1. Y

The fuel feed takes place from an intermediate receptacle or measuring drum a in communication with the upper. end of the retort and hermetically sealed as regards the coal bunker or holder proper. Th1s receptacle a is adapted to hold sufficient coal for two or more hours distillation and supplies the same in equal measure to the retort b to that in which the coke, from which the gas has been extracted, is taken off from the lower end of the retort.

The retort c is divided into two chambers by a horizontal partition wall d. In the latter is provided a passage e for the preheated air of combustion and also a passage f for the heating gases. The former is 1n communication with a passage e leading from the recuperator, the latter passage being connected by a channel or passage f with the generator. The passages e .and f are connected together by openings, as indicated by arrows and in the said openings, burner nozzles h are arranged, which may beiclosed by removable bricks. oommunicatlon is established with the upper retort chamber 0 by a passage 9 provided in the furnace wall,

which opens into the lower space or chamber a close under the partition wall (1. The

ber. The lowest passage or flue la is in communication with therrecuperator and may be closed by movable bricks for regulating the heating. The operationtakes place in the following manner The heating gas coming from the generator passes through the channel or flue f into the passage 7 in the partition-wall d and here mixes with the preheated air of combustion coming from the recuperator and entering the channel 6 in the direction of the arrows. The mixture of air and gas passes through the nozzles h where it 1s ignited. The hot gases pass through the upper retort chamber 0 and pass then through the channel 9. provided in the furnace wall 1nto the lower retort chamber a, through which they wind from top to bottom (as indicated b arrows in Fig. 2) in a zig-zag course.

he heating gases are led off from the lower retort chamber to the recuperator, through the passage is. I

' In order to effect the proper regulation and heating the generator gas passage f,

the nozzles h, the heating gas outlets in the upper and lower furnace chambers are provided with adjustable bricks, which may be adjusted through suitable openings provided in the furnace walls.

The above described heating process is particularly adapted for uninterrupted or continuous working but it may also be advantageously adapted for periodical working, '5. e, for working in alternate periods.

claim as my invention p 1. A furnace of the class described comprising vertical retorts, a main central horizontal partition extending the entire width of the furnace, thereby dividing it into uph per and lower chambers, ignition nozzles in the upper chamber, a series of horizontal partitions extending the entire width of the lower chamber having openings in alternate ends and means for conducting the gas which comes from the ignition nozzles from the upper chamber to the top of the lower chamber from which it passes in a zig-zag course to the bottom thereof and out of the furnace, substantially as described.

2. A furnace of the class described comprising vertical retorts, a horizontal partition extending the entire width of the furnace, thereby dividing it into upper and lower chambers, ignition nozzles in the upper chamber, a series of horizontal partiwhich comes from the ignition nozzles from the upper chamber 'to the lower chamber,

where it passes through the horizontal pas-' sages and out of the furnace, substantially asdescribed.

3. A furnace of the class described comprising vertical retorts, a horizontal partition dividing the furnace into upper and lower chambers, ignition nozzles in the upper 0 mber, means for admitting gas to the ignition nozzles, means for conducting the gas which comes from the ignition nozzles from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, and out of the furnace and a flue in the partition wall through which air passes, substantially as described.

4. A furnace of the class described comprising vertical retorts, a horizontal partition dividing the furnace into upper and lower chambers, ignition nozzles in the up- Y per chamber, flues in the partition wall for the passage of air and gas respectively, means for admitting air from the air flue to the gas flue where the two mix,a passage from the gas flue to the ignition nozzles through which the mixture of air and gas pass, and means for conducting the gas which comes from the ignition nozzles from the upper chamber to the lower chamber and out of .the furnace, substantially as described.

5. A furnace of the class described com.- prising vertical retorts, a partition dividing the furnace into upper and lower chambers, ignition nozzles in the upper chamber, flues in the partition wall for the passage of air and gas respectively, means for admitting an and gas to the ignition nozzles, means for conducting the gas which comes from.

the ignition nozzles from the upper chamber to the lower chamber and out of the furnace, a passage adapted to connect the gas flue with a generator, and a passage adapted to connect the air flue with a recuperator, substantially as described.

3. A furnace of the class described comprising vertical retorts, a partition dividing the furnace into upper and lower chambers,

ignition nozzles in the upper chamber, a

series of horizontal passages in the lower chamber, flues in the partition wall for the passage of air, and gas, respectively, and a passage in the wall of the furnace leading from the top of the upper chamber to the top of the lower chamber for the passage of hot gases coming from the ignition nozzles.

7. The method of continuously or periodically generating illuminating gas in. vertical retorts which consists in admitting a mixture of air and gas to ignition burners tom to the top, and the lower part from the at approximately the center of a furnace, top to the bottom. 10 Where it is ignited, and causing the hot In testimony whereof I aflix my signature gases to pass from the center to the top of in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

the furnace and then back to approximately ALBERT AUG, BIRKHOLZ. the center and into a chamber where it takes Witnesses: a zig-zag path from top to bottom; thus the FRANK BOHR,

upper part of the retort is heated from bot- OLGA M. AURIG. 

